


Unfinished

by clipper782



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Afterlife, Afterlife is pretty much the before life, Anakin and Padmé aren't together though, But more spirit-y and magic-y and less physically possible, Canon Compliant, F/M, Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, Ghosts, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Questions, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23680207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clipper782/pseuds/clipper782
Summary: Note: Unfinished is the actual title. The work is finished.Daaé may be dead, but that's kind of the least of her problems. At least she's got a force ghost Jedi here to help her out somehow. Maybe. Except he's kind of got way more issues than she does...
Relationships: Daaé/Anakin Skywalker, Daaé/Darth Vader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Unfinished

Maybe she had lost track of time down here. It had been a long time, at least, she knew that much. A _long_ time. But Daaé just couldn't bring herself to care. She couldn't leave. This was her place. Where she _belonged_. He'd said it himself hadn't he? She couldn't undo this, couldn't fix this. She was nobody, she was nothing. And she'd been the one to fuck everything up for herself. She didn't matter, why should she leave? Should she just disappear? She was dead now, right, shouldn't dead mean gone? Or was she not worth even that much, no one on the other side would take her. There was nothing more for her than this now.

“What are you doing down here? This isn't the sort of place one would usually expect to find somebody.”

Who or what would come down here? She'd been alone for so long, she'd forgotten what another person's voice even sounded like. Hearing someone else down hear shook her almost as badly as dying itself had. Even if it was just another ghost. 

“You alright?” The other ghost asked her after she did not respond for a moment. He seemed an odd sort, even disregarding the fact he had come here. He looked young, robed like a Jedi, and with a blue tinge to his spirit, but he was undoubtedly a ghost. 

Still, she did not respond. The old trash compactor she sat in had long since become something of the real world. It was stagnant, like her. Just a memory of the place, her own world, a place she belonged. Other people didn't belong here with her. So he should really just go. He was standing at the edge of the murky depths, looking like he'd just come in from the door above, but of course he hadn't. The door wasn't real, nothing here really was. It didn't lead anywhere. But he could still leave. He should go. He'd get his robes dirty if he came any closer.

“Are you looking for something?”

She gave no response.

“Waiting for someone?”

No response.

“Not sure if it helps at all, but I'm here.”

“Why are you here?” She snapped at him. He grinned like a child, finally having been granted his desired reaction. She turned away from him.

“I'm just here to see what's so great about this place. What a fine young ghost such as yourself would be doing spending her afterlife shut up down here.” She tried ignoring him again, but that cat was surely out of its bag. “Must be something, right”

“Yes.”

He cocked hi head to the side. He still hadn't made any move towards or away from her, but... It seemed he was less far away now. “Why not tell me then?” Why did his voice have to be so soft? Why was he _looking_ at her like he was?

“It's what I deserve.”

He looked down at her. His expression was unreadable but it rang out some sort of fuzzy sensation in the back of her head she didn't understand. She hadn't seen this man before, hadn't seen that expression. He was handsome though. It almost made it worse, shameful. But it wasn't like it mattered. He didn't need to be here, and likely he would be gone soon.

She couldn't bring herself to think she hoped he would be gone soon, even if she didn't quite want to admit that was the truth. Not that what she felt about it mattered either. Soon he would move on.

He did not move on. His look morphed into a cheeky grin and he took only a few confident strides forward into the mess around her and held out his hand. She wanted to tell him not to get his robes dirty, not to bother, she wasn't worth it, but... Reluctantly, she took his hand. They were ghosts anyway. It wasn't like they really got dirty.

“Do you want to try a change of scenery?” He asked, pulling her to her feet, but she shook her head. She couldn't leave. How could he help her if he didn't even understand that. This was her place. As she had told him, it was what she deserved... Not that she wanted him to help her. Not that he wanted to help her, not really. It wasn't like anyone would be here of their own volition.

“You're a Jedi aren't you?” It was the job of a Jedi to help people, right? Even in death? “This is a nothing more than a job for you.”

He hesitated. His grin was failing. There was pain in his eyes. Beneath this mask he wore he was suffering, she knew it, she could tell, especially with him up so close now. She wanted to hold him... _No you don't_ The voice in her mind chided her. _Stupid girl you don't even know him. You've already seen where these thoughts lead._. It wasn't like the voice was wrong. She pulled away from the Jedi.

If anything this seemed to strengthen his resolve. The mask was back in full force, grin and everything. “Of course I'm a Jedi, you think these robes are a fashion statement? But even as a Jedi, this is my afterlife too. I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.”

Daaé frowned, but stopped pulling away. There was a comfortable distance between her and the Jedi. Oh, he was even more handsome up close, maybe if she could... _NO!_ Those were bad thoughts, desires she was not worthy of, that she needed to avoid. There was no way he wanted to help her anyway. At most he wanted to help someone and she just happened to be that someone.

“Well, what do you do around here for fun?” The Jedi seemed to take her lack of reaction as permission to continue. She supposed she didn't mind if he did. After all, was it really her place to tell him not to? “Maybe we could play a game?”

“I don't even know you.” She said, shaking her head. 

He faltered again. If he was having so much trouble he shouldn't bother going through it for her of all people. She was about to tell him this, but he responded first. “My name is Anakin. Anakin Skywalker.”

She frowned. She knew about Anakin Skywalker, everyone knew about Anakin Skywalker. He was a Republic war hero who had died in the failed Jedi coup. Had he truly opposed the Empire he had once defended with his life, or had he simply gotten caught up in affairs beyond his control? She wanted to ask him but...

_Don't get too attached. It isn't like he really cares. You're a job. He will leave you._

Instead of any questions she just said, “I'm Daaé.”

“I know.” He said quietly, he wasn't looking at her. He was pulling her to the clean, dry ledge by the exit door, to sit down next to him overlooking the sea of garbage. How much information on her had he been given for his 'mission'? It disquieted her to think he knew too much, but also the idea that he didn't know enough. Because if he knew enough, why would he be here? Once he did know, or if he did know, he'd think of her as pathetic at best, disgusting at worst. It was inevitable.

“Sit with me, Daaé?” He asked, and it was not fair for him to be looking at her like that with those soft, vulnerable, pleading blue eyes. Those eyes were... She shook off the strange sensation. She didn't want to think about what those eyes were. They were the eyes of a Jedi Knight who shouldn't be here and would soon leave.

She sat with him. “What kind of game do you want to play... Anakin?” The name didn't feel quite _right_ but it was the one she had been given.

He got a thoughtful look on his face. “I dunno. Ever played Go Fish?”

“You... Want to go fishing in here?”

He laughed, “No, no, that's not... I'm only teasing but... Well OK. We could play the question game.”

“What is that?” It seemed fairly straight forward, but it was best to be sure before agreeing to something. Especially games with strange men she... Didn't know.

“Basically it's truth or dare, but without the dares. Makes sense since you can't really dare a ghost to do anything, right?”

“Right.” She could think of plenty of dares she could give to another ghost. But that wasn't really important here.

“You can go first?” He offered, lounging back against the wall next to her. She couldn't bring herself to be that relaxed. Though was he relaxed, really, or did he just want to make it look that way?

She took his offer. Only truths. She could ask him anything. “Are you...” She could... “Are you an only child?” She could do that. Ask a simple question with no real consequences.

“Yes. Well, no.” So much for a simple question. “I have a step-brother. I think he's around the same age as me. His name is Owen. He's also dead now.”

“Have you seen him since you both died?”

“It's my turn to ask a question, you know. But... No. I haven't.” There seemed to be a story there, but it was his turn to ask a question and digging too deep might not be the best idea. “Same question to you?”

“I had two brothers. We weren't close.” She wasn't quite close with any of her family. She was more of an embarrassment than a child most days and then she was an adult, and neither she nor them had any use for the other. But sometimes, she wished she wasn't so alone. “I don't know if they're alive or dead. I don't even know how long it's been since I...”

“It's been five years.”

“That's...” She didn't know if it was longer than what she expected, or shorter than what she expected, but it wasn't what she had expected. “That's not my question though. It's still my turn.”

“Of course.” Why did he have to be so... accommodating? Why was she getting into this? It would only end in pain.

“So... Did you really betray the Republic? After everything you did in the clone wars? Why?”

“Isn't that two questions?” He protested. “But yes. I betrayed the Republic. It wasn't... A good idea. I shouldn't have done it. I had someone I wanted to protect.”

“A girl?” Three questions.

“Yes.”

“What happened to her?” Four questions.

“She died. I couldn't protect her, even after everything.”

“Have you seen her... since?” Five questions

He hesitated at that one. “I think it's my turn to ask a question now, isn't it?” She didn't respond to him, just gave him a small frown, head tilted to the side, searching his eyes for something she didn't quite know how to find. “I've seen her. Yes.” The tone brokered no room for further questioning on that front. He very much didn't want to talk about that. “What about you then? Have you seen anyone from your life since you... died?”

She shook her head. “Just you. I've just been in here.” She brought her knees up to her chest, curling up felt safer than not. “Nobody else has ever come here.”

“Do you want them to?”

She couldn't point out it was an extra question after she had gotten off five in a row. That would be patently unfair. But it wasn't something she had thought about before. “No. Nobody would _want_ to be here.”

“Then you don't want to be here either.” She didn't respond but it was clearly the truth. She didn't want to be there, she just had to be. “What is it that you want? Not what anyone else wants or what you think you should deserve... Or what anyone else thinks you deserve... What do you want?”

She got the feeling the number of questions didn't exactly matter at this point. Why did he have to ask her all of that, look at her so intensely. It wasn't fair. He was only supposed to be here for a job, right? He shouldn't care. Why did he have to care? Why now? It wasn't fair. It wasn't...

“Daaé?”

“I want someone to take me away from here.”

He offered her his hand again, turning to kneel beside her. “I can do that.”

She hesitated. Of course she did. Why did it have to be this way? Why did he have to be... She closed her eyes, she couldn't take the way he was _looking_ at her, but still she saw his face in her mind, the look in his eyes. She couldn't escape it.

She didn't take his hand. She did kiss him though. Crushing every voice screaming in her head that she shouldn't do it. She should be embarrassed to have lived and dies having never been kissed before, but she was just surprised that his lips were so soft. She hadn't expected them to be so soft. And... pliant? Oh. She should have asked if she could kiss him before she....

She pulled away from him suddenly. His eyes were wide. She'd surprised him. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Why not?” But then he too pulled back. “I mean, you shouldn't though. It isn't... Please don't.”

“I won't. I'm sorry.”

“No that's not... Don't be sorry. I just...” He let out a rueful sort of laugh that she could definitely recognize as self-deprecating. She hated hearing it from him. Even though it was her only indulgence for herself. “You don't want to kiss me.”

She did want to kiss him. She thought that would have been obvious, seeing as how she had kissed him and all. “You know, I don't know how you're planning to help me when you're just as broken as I am.” It was a fair assessment she thought, but it still made him flinch. “I could help you too, if you'd let me.” Why wasn't there any warning bells going off, no little voice telling her to stop?

He took her hand. His was warm, which was odd, since they were ghosts. But she supposed it was just how this world worked. Maybe it was the Force, she didn't know much about it. “Tell me where you want me to take you. Wherever you want. I'll take you there.”

“Anakin...” The name didn't feel so strange anymore. “Its my turn to ask you a question.” Anakin tensed, but nodded. “...Do you want me to kiss you? And don't tell me what you think you should deserve.” She threw his words back at him, but it was a soft throw, more a gentle pass of words than a real throw. “What do you want?”

His hand came up to cup her cheek, his fingers threading through her hair, his thumb pressing lightly as he caressed her skin. Oh. _He_ knew what he was doing. He stared into her eyes, let his gaze drop to her lips only for a second before he leaned in. She thought she was prepared, but just as he got close enough to almost touch his hand pulled her into him, his other arm going around her waist. Holding her. Tight. His lips were still soft, but they were hot, desperate. She failed to bite back a small noise of pleasure and he took the opportunity to all but dive into her mouth with his tongue. 

For the first time she was somewhat grateful she didn't need to breathe.

“Does that answer your question?”

“Yes.”

“Then its my turn again. Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere but here.”

He seemed to contemplate for a moment. Sure she hadn't given him much but she really wasn't picky. It wasn't really where she went that mattered but... “I want to be with you. Wherever you want to go, that's where I want to be.”

“You barely know me.”

“I barely know anyone. I don't want to be alone.”

“But...”

“You said you'd take me away from here. So do it.”

And he did, sweeping her away like some romantic hero everyone had told her didn't exist, couldn't exist, and would certainly never take any interest in her. But here he was, fucking now, after all this time, after everything. She should be mad, shouldn't she? She couldn't bring herself to do it. Even after all these years, of being _dead_ of being _alone_ she could never bring herself to hate him. Couldn't even bring herself to stop wanting him, and all the hatred in her heart had nowhere to turn but inwards. She knew that, logically, she really did, but...

“I didn't know where I should bring you. I wanted it to be somewhere nice but... I also didn't want anywhere with... too many memories attached to it.” 

She looked around. “What is this place?”

“The forest moon of Endor. I was... buried here, but I've never really... been here.” Of course it wasn't the real forest moon, or at least it was somewhere adjacent to it. The spirit realm was complicated, but leave it to a Jedi to figure out how to navigate such a place. “Its a nice place. I'd say watch out for hungry ewoks, but I assume we won't have to worry about that.”

She should really call him on it now. Now would make the most sense. Because he'd just taken a hammer to his own story. Had he realized it? Was it deliberate? She could leave it, let him go, let them pretend. That wouldn't help anyone. That wasn't healing. She knew a heck of a lot about what was and wasn't healing, even if she had trouble following her own knowledge at times.

“Its my turn to ask a question.”

“Are we still doing that?”

“Just one more question. That's it. I promise.”

“Alright.” He sat on a fallen log next to a huge overgrown tree. The forest really was beautiful here. She wanted to just sit beside him, enjoy the view. Already he looked lighter here, she should really just let him go. He had helped her after all and now he could go back to his... Jedi friends and do... Jedi things and she could... Watch out for hungry ewoks. Though was being alone in a forest really that different from being alone in a dump? “I'm not going anywhere, you know. We can stay here as long as you want. We could go somewhere else. I could find you a place where you don't have to be alone, you know, when you get tired of being with me.” He was joking, but only a little. He was trying very hard not to seem like he was alright, not broken and suffering. But he couldn't fool her. He hadn't fooled her. 

He needed to know that.

“You're Lord Vader, aren't you?”

There had never been more tension in the air. It was suffocating and she didn't even breathe, so that was a feat.

Anakin swallowed. “Not anymore.”

This time she did move towards him, she did go to him. He seemed frozen where he sat. “I'm sorry.” He whispered, breathy and shaken. “I am. Really I--”

He was larger than her by a bit, but he was easy to hold. Just kneeling before him, throwing her arms around him and holding him close. As close as he had held her. Wow, he had held her hadn't he?

“I really am bad at this aren't I?” He choked out with a short laugh, “I'm supposed to be helping you and here you are comforting me.” He laughed again, but it was the kind of laugh that came out when you were too afraid or too proud or too confused to properly sob. “After I _killed_ you! I don't deserve this.”

“Its not about what you deserve.” And explaining it, feeling it for him, made it really, finally click for her. “You matter, you know? You need this. And I'm more than willing to provide comfort.”

He clung to her, that was the only way to describe it. “Daaé... Daaé...” It had never entered her mind that this might not be real, that this might just be a fantasy. She hadn't had any of those since she was alive. But given how this was going, she couldn't help but wonder.

“What about the girl? The one you wanted to protect?”

He shook his head against her sadly, pulling away only a little. “That was a lifetime ago. I feel like I was a different person then. And I was a different person then. I may have gone back to being Anakin Skywalker but... I'm not that Anakin Skywalker. Not anymore.” She nodded. It wasn't something she understood so intimately, but it was something she could accept as true. “We've talked. We've discussed things. We aren't those people anymore... We were reckless kids making poor decisions more than anything. We have our own paths now, wherever those may lead. Paths for spirits aren't as negotiable as paths for the living. And we couldn't make it work on that, either.”

“And this is your path? Helping people like me?”

“My path is atonement.”

That wasn't her path, that was clear. But she couldn't leave him. She didn't want to leave him. She didn't have a path anyway, did she?

“You have a path. Its not with me. Not completely at least.” He nuzzled into her, which felt amazingly sweet. “Are you sure there isn't anyone else? Anyone at all that you might want to see again?”

She thought about it, again. “No, there's not.” She hadn't really had the greatest life. But he didn't need to be told twice. Well, clearly he had, but he didn't need to be told again.

“Then come with me. I know plenty of spirits who would be happy to know you. You wouldn't be lonely. And if you have them... Maybe you won't need me.”

“I don't need you.” She chided. “I want you. If anything you need me. You need me to forgive you.”

“Do you?”

“What?”

“Forgive me.”

She had to think about that one for a moment. She'd never even let herself be angry with him, how could she really say she forgave him? “Maybe later. We'll see.”

He smiled at her. It was nice. He was beautiful. He'd always been beautiful. Oh but she did love him. Maybe? Probably. She'd have to see about that too. “Better than nothing, yeah?” He reached out his hand again, but this time, she didn't hesitate.


End file.
